Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report children’s home: SC456416 1 SC456416 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is one of several children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than one child or young person who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. If required, children and young people can access the organisation’s school and therapy department. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2017.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456416 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/05/2018 Full Good 09/05/2017 Full Good 09/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/10/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC456416 3

p.2

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) Specifically, escalate in a timely manner any challenge of the responsible authority when it fails to meet its statutory duty to provide an independent return interview within 72 hours of a child returning from an episode of being missing from care. 13/06/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)) 13/06/2019

p.3

Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to dispose of any medication. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15) Inspection report children’s home: SC456416 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have lived at this home since the last inspection. They have each benefited from individualised care and support from staff who understand and respond to their unique and diverse needs. Staff offer unconditional and parent-like support. This helps children to find some stability in their often-chaotic lives. As a result, children make good progress relative to their individual circumstances, needs and time in placement. For example, one child is routinely engaging in education, despite significant periods of non-attendance prior to coming to this home. Children arrive at the home in a well-planned manner. Their needs are captured in records that are comprehensively detailed and provide a good insight into each child’s individual needs, behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities. Children’s progress is reviewed regularly, and plans are amended as part of a multi-agency approach to care planning.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is good evidence of the manager and staff being tenacious in their efforts to engage the support of specialist mental health services. This was in response to one child whose risk-taking behaviour became extremely concerning over time. During this period, staff showed resilience and tenacity, working hard to manage the child’s behaviour and keep her safe. Recognising that the location of the home presented potentially unmanageable risks, the manager worked with the child and the placing authority to identify and support a transition to a home that was in a better location. A social worker wrote, ‘This was a very good placement for [name]. [Name] has progressed and has recently had her mock exams, in which she did very well. I believe that this was partly due to the level of support given to her during this placement.’ Staff have a good understanding of the impact that family contact can have on children.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

They provide individualised support for the children and maintain good communication with family members. This ensures that contact is well planned, safe and a positive experience for all involved. A social worker said, ‘The staff are very good at developing family relationships. They are very aware of the complex family dynamics and make sure that contact is what [name] needs and wants.’ Medication management needs to improve. Staff failed to follow the home’s policy with regards disposing of non-prescribed medication when a child left the home in December 2018. Quarterly medication audits have failed to identify this shortfall. Overall, the home is furnished and decorated to a good standard and feels welcoming and homely. There are plans in place to modernise some areas of the home including the toilet and bathroom. These plans need to be expedited if these areas are to be brought up to a similar standard as other areas.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC456416 5

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Effective safeguarding practice contributes to children’s sense of safety and well-being. The manager and staff are suitably trained and have a good understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. The organisation’s policies and procedures are routinely followed to ensure that matters of concern, such as the three allegations made since the last inspection, are managed effectively and in the best interest of the child. Open and transparent links are maintained with a range of safeguarding agencies and professionals. The manager uses these effectively to promote a multi-agency approach to keeping children safe. She ensures that the relevant people, including Ofsted, are kept informed of any known or emerging issues. However, the manager failed to inform Ofsted of an incident that required the police being called to the home. Staff know what action to take in response to a child going missing from home, of which

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

there have been 11 occasions. They make every effort to locate the child before reporting to the police, working with the police to locate and return the child safely. Arrangements are now in place to ensure that the child is offered an independent return interview following any period of absence. However, these are rarely completed within statutory timescales, a factor that has not been sufficiently challenged by the manager. Challenging behaviour is addressed in a supportive way. Staff make good use of positive relationships to help children to manage their feelings and moderate their behaviour. Staff encourage discussion after incidents to help children to reflect and learn. This approach has been effective in avoiding the need for physical restraint and the use of sanctions is extremely rare. The location risk assessment is much improved. The manager has utilised information from various sources and experiential learning to ensure that the document provides

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

better information about the risks presented by the home’s location.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by an experienced registered manager. She has now completed the level 5 diploma, making her suitably qualified. The manager has recently become registered for a second home within the organisation. This has not proven detrimental to the running of this home with her maintaining good management oversight and involvement in care planning. Children benefit from living in this well-run home where their needs are consistently prioritised. They are cared for by a suitable number of staff who are well trained, knowledgeable about them and very experienced. Staff are highly motivated and committed to overcoming barriers and supporting children to achieve their individual goals. A social worker said, ‘Staff persevere, and they don’t give up.’ Consequently, both children have made progress. Staff talk about their work with enthusiasm. They say that they are supported well by the manager, the deputy manager and each other. Staff benefit from regular

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

supervision, which the majority find beneficial to their professional development. Inspection report children’s home: SC456416 6 Supervision records are better organised which means that records are now easily accessible on request. This was a recommendation at the previous inspection. Regular monitoring of the home, both externally and internally, is good. The manager makes good use of a range of quality assurance processes to ensure that shortfalls are addressed and that a good standard of care is maintained in the home. The requirement relating to the home’s statement of purpose, made at the last inspection, has been addressed. This document now provides the relevant information about the experience and qualifications of staff working in this home.

p.5

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC456416 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Waterfront, Manbre Wharf, Manbre Road, Hammersmith, Middlesex W6 9RU

p.7

Inspector

Paul Scott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456416 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8